Oblak raises the athletic wall

“The best defense is a good offense”. Atlético has made Sun Tzu's reflection their own in The Art of War Y the most offensive version of the rojiblanco team, with two very vertical players on the wings, João Félix with Suárez up front, more possession in matches and an increase in shots and chances, has been accompanied by the best numbers of the Simeone era in defense during a start of the League. Jan Oblak has benefited from being less exposed to rival arrivals, but as always, he has been prepared to act when he has to (he has 24 stops in the competition).

The Slovenian just has conceded two goals in the first seven league games who has played (Atlético debuted on matchday 3 for the last Champions League), figures only comparable to those achieved by the Atlético goalkeeper himself in the 2016-17 season, when he would get his second consecutive Zamora with two goals against in the initial seven days for a total of 21 goals conceded in 30 games. Later another two more would arrive, until last season Courtois broke the streak with his good numbers at Real Madrid (20 goals against in 34 games). However, this season Oblak does not want to miss his fifth prize, which would place him as the most awarded goalkeeper in the history of the competition together with Antoni Ramallets and Víctor Valdés.

Oblak also has in his possession the honor of being the goalkeeper with the best coefficient of the competition, tied with Liaño after 18 goals conceded in 38 games (0.47 per game) during the 2015-16 season, same figure as the Cantabrian in 1993-94. In that season, the Slovenian had received four goals in the first seven league matches, a statistic that he would repeat in 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20. With Courtois himself under sticks, Atlético won the 2013-14 League after conceding five goals in their first seven games. Figures that now Oblak is improving greatly.

The Belgian worsens his numbers

The two goals conceded by Atlético in seven games make them the most difficult team to pierce in all of LaLiga. The only one who keeps him in place is Remiro at Real Sociedad, who has received four, but in nine games, since the competition did start from the first day. Courtois, winner of the last Zamora, saw how Valencia scored four goals for a total of nine goals against in eight games. Ter Stegen for his part could not debut due to knee problems until last day, when Betis scored the same goals in 90 minutes that Oblak has conceded in 630. David Soria, insurance in previous seasons, he has started worse at Getafe with nine goals against in eight games and Unai Simon, which last year had very good numbers at Athletic, it has done so with nine out of nine.

Side B in Champions

Oblak wants to transfer that league reliability to the Champions League, where the team is suffering much more. The four goals conceded against Bayern were accompanied by two against Salzburg and one from a penalty against Lokomotiv, for a total of seven goals against in three games, many of them preceded by important defensive failures. Atlético will have to return to their jurisdiction in the European competition if they want to compete for high levels. We must not forget that, despite being a much more offensive team, Simeone's team has always been sustained from its defense.